Between 1300 and 1800, porcelain objects manufactured at southern Chinese kilns were some of the most universally desired products in the world. From humble Cambodian traders and Japanese monks to the shahs of Iran and the princesses of Europe, the wide dissemination of Chinese porcelain testifies to cross-cultural encounters on a truly global scale. Both functional and collectable, porcelain objects were also the bearers of cultural knowledge that could be interpreted or absorbed in different ways, and Chinese imports informed, transformed or displaced many of the indigenous ceramic traditions they encountered. This exhibition traces the remarkable journeys of Chinese porcelain to four regions – Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe – during the early modern period.

 

Click on a link below to explore a section of the exhibition:

 

1. Introduction

 

2. Maritime Trade

 

3. Middle Eastern & Southeast Asian Markets

 

4. European Markets

 

5. The Japanese Market

 

6. Blue-and-White

 

7. Chinese Ceramics & the Early Modern World